


Adventures in Badass-Sitting

by Nevcolleil



Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: De-Aged John Casey, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 17:50:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11236122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevcolleil/pseuds/Nevcolleil
Summary: Caring for a de-aged John Casey is a daunting task, but for the most unexpected of reasons.





	Adventures in Badass-Sitting

**Author's Note:**

> This was written and posted previously for a prompt at comment_fic on livejournal.

Maybe if Casey had retained his memories of himself - while he was... like this - this wouldn't be so hard. A very-much-adult John Casey, stuck inside a tiny, child-like version of himself would be creepy but ultimately manageable.

Adult John Casey would not have led Chuck and Sarah on a two hour scramble through the bowels of Castle, terrified that they wouldn't catch their newly-pintsized partner before he pushed the wrong button. Adult John Casey wouldn't have hidden inside Jeff's van because 'Gen'al Beacon was mean to Unca Chuck!' and force Chuck to call in a fully-outfitted SWAT team, certain that John had been kidnapped.

Adult John Casey would not have pouty-lipped and puppy-dog-eyed a defenseless Sarah into reading him bedtime stories (which they both hope Casey can forgive them for, once he's restored to his proper age and size; Ronald Reagen biographies worked fine the first couple of nights, but after that Ellie insisted that they all head to the Barnes & Nobles and buy John some _appropriate_ children's books.) 

Adult John Casey would not have thrown a military-grade temper tantrum until 'Unca Chuck' and 'Unca Mow-gan' agreed to stop doing 'dumb spy stuff' and _play_ with him. 

Toddler John is watching _Captain America_ , for the fifth time, sitting in his Uncle Morgan's lap, while Chuck packs away the complete set of _Skippyjon Jones_ picture books and Avengers action figures that soon-to-be-once-more-adult John will probably curl his lip at.

"Are you sure we can't just-"

"You know we can't, Chuck." Sarah stops him, but she doesn't look happy to do it.

"What if it doesn't work?" Chuck pushes on. "What if it _hurts_ him? He's going to be so scared..."

"We've got to try, Chuck. Casey - _our_ Casey - deserves to have his life back," Sarah says firmly. "Don't you want him back?"

Sarah doesn't say what both of them are obviously thinking. It's become unclear which Casey is "their" Casey... and, whichever one comes home with them tonight, they're going to end up missing one of them

Toddler John clings to either Chuck or Sarah or Morgan through the duration of the trip to DC, but only moments after placing him, with his tiny quivering lips, inside the restoration chamber and tearing themselves away, Adult John Casey steps out. 

He is dazed but otherwise completely unharmed. And completely oblivious to everything that's happened since the de-aging.

"What the hell's going on? Where the hell are we?" Casey demands, in his gruffest, most intimidating growl. "Walker, you alright?" he asks, only somewhat softer, when Sarah springs an emphatic, obviously unexpected hug on him.

"She's fine, Casey," Chuck says, with a hand on his wife's back and a somehow even voice. "It's just good to have you back."

And it is. Spying wasn't the same without Casey's snark in Chuck's earpiece; Casey's back to his back in a firefight. And if Chuck gets a little teary-eyed himself, when he realizes that he forgot the box of Toddler John's toys he packed at Casey's - and it's gone when he goes looking for it - well.

His worries are put to rest the day Casey finds himself babysitting Clara. Chuck and Sarah drop by before Ellie and Devon come to get her back, and they find Casey sitting on his couch with Clara on his knee, reading _Skippyjon Jones_ \- complete with voices.

They sneak away, grinning at one another like idiots.

When _The Winter Soldier_ hits theaters, Chuck asks Casey to go with him and Morgan. Casey pretends to grumble about it, but he watches every scene rapt, while Chuck and Morgan pretend they got popcorn dust in their eyes.


End file.
